Morning mist curled along the cobblestone pathways of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda estate, softening the edges of the world as if the clan itself wished to slow the passage of time. Lanterns flickered low with the last of their evening oil. Birds chirped hesitantly among the jade pines, as though even they understood that this day carried a weight unlike others.
The courtyard before the main gate was unusually quiet.
A carriage—polished blackwood, emblazoned with the clan emblem in gold and jade—stood ready. Two spirit beast horses, sleek and powerful, pawed lightly at the ground. Attendants moved with reverent efficiency, preparing the final touches. Gu Rong had personally overseen the enchantments. It would be one of the safest carriages to ever cross the continent.
And still, to Ning Rongrong, it felt too soon.
She stood on the veranda outside her chambers, overlooking the courtyard. Her fingers gently brushed the edge of the hairpin she had chosen that morning—jade and silver, shaped like a plum blossom. It had been her mother. It was the first time she wore it.
Behind her, the paper doors slid open softly.
Li Wei stepped out.
He wore a traveling robe over his black Luocha blazer, its edges slightly stirred by the morning breeze. The Diendriver hung at his side, subdued yet ever-present. His hair, freshly tied back, had a few wisps dancing free in the wind.
He saw her and smiled. "Still not ready?"
Ning Rongrong turned. "I'm ready. I'm just…"
"Trying to remember every last detail," Li Wei finished for her.
She nodded. Her eyes swept the garden. The plum blossoms. The path she had run down as a child. The place Gu Rong used to sneak her candy when her father wasn't looking. It was all still here. And yet—she wasn't the same girl anymore.
She stepped closer. "Do you think they'll be okay without me for a while?"
"They're the richest clan on the continent. I think they'll survive," Li Wei said with a small grin. "But they won't be the same. That's different."
She looked up at him, lips pressing into a line. "That's not fair."
"No," he agreed. "It isn't. But it's true."
They stood in silence for a moment.
The sound of boots on stone caught their attention.
Ning Fengzhi approached, his expression composed, though the faint shadows beneath his eyes betrayed a sleepless night.
He stopped before them, gaze sweeping from his daughter to the young man who now stood beside her not just in title, but in deed.
"The carriage is ready," he said.
Ning Rongrong stepped forward. "Father—"
He raised a hand gently. "I know. You don't have to say it. Just… don't forget what this place means."
She smiled, a little wistfully. "I couldn't even if I tried."
He nodded once, then turned to Li Wei. "Protect her. Not because I command it, but because she has chosen you. That carries a greater weight."
Li Wei bowed low. "You have my word."
Behind them, Gu Rong and Chen Xin appeared at the top of the steps. Chen Xin had his hands behind his back, face unreadable, but the slight nod he offered Li Wei was enough. A silent approval. Recognition earned.
Gu Rong, on the other hand, stomped down the stairs and thrust a small pouch at Ning Rongrong.
"Snacks. For the road. Don't let him eat them all."
Ning Rongrong laughed. "Thank you, Uncle Bone."
He grunted. "You tell that little flying mushroom freak at Shrek to stop flirting with girls when you get back."
Li Wei blinked. "Flying mushroom freak?"
"Oscar," Ning Rongrong clarified.
Li Wei chuckled. "Duly noted."
Chen Xin finally spoke, his voice quiet. "When you return, I would like a rematch."
Li Wei nodded solemnly. "It would be my honor."
The gates creaked open.
Ning Fengzhi looked at his daughter one last time. There was no speech. No farewell poem. Only a long look, filled with more emotion than a hundred words.
"Go," he said.
And so, they did.
_________________
The carriage rocked gently as it rolled past the outer gardens, the sounds of birdsong and running water slowly giving way to open countryside. The estate faded into the horizon.
Inside, Ning Rongrong sat beside Li Wei, head resting on his shoulder. Her hairpin glinted in the sunlight filtering through the carved windows.
Neither spoke for a long time.
It was only when they passed the hill where the wind turbines began that she whispered, "You know, I was scared."
Li Wei looked down at her. "Of what?"
"Of coming back. Of not being enough. Of being changed. Of my father not accepting us. Of Granpa Chen Xin and Grandpa Gu Rong rejecting you."
He reached over and took her hand. "But none of that happened."
"No," she said quietly. "But it still could have."
The breeze rolled in, carrying the scent of wildflowers and distant rain.
Li Wei stared out the window. "I wasn't sure, either. Not when I first came here. I didn't know how far I could go. I didn't know if I'd be accepted."
She turned, resting her chin on his shoulder. "But you were."
"Because of you," he replied simply.
Silence fell again.
Outside, the road curved through the emerald hills. Clouds drifted like lazy guardians in the sky. Farmers waved as the carriage passed. The world felt softer somehow—less like an arena, more like a beginning.
"When we get back," she said, "the others will ask questions."
"Let them," Li Wei murmured. "They deserve answers."
She smiled. "Xiao Wu will tease. Zhuqing will pretend not to care, but she'll be watching every move. Yiran might quiz us like it's an exam."
"And Rongrong will probably blush the entire time," he added.
She smacked his arm gently. "Maybe."
The carriage passed under a tree-lined archway. A flock of birds took flight overhead. The world was in motion—but inside the carriage, everything felt still.
"Thank you," she said.
He tilted his head. "For what?"
"For not giving up on me. Even back then. In the Rift. In the quiet. You stood by me. You never made me feel small."
His voice softened. "You were never small. Not to me. And. You also stood by me."
She touched the hairpin lightly.
"My mother used to tell me, 'There will be people who see the gold in your name. And those who see the fire in your spirit. The first will admire you. The second will fear you. Find the one who does both—and you've found someone worth standing beside.'"
Li Wei closed his eyes. "Then I'm glad I passed her test, too."
She reached up and kissed his cheek.
"You passed more than one."
______________
By noon, the carriage had reached the outer valley, where forest and mountain began to merge. The horses slowed as the road narrowed.
Li Wei sat forward, staring ahead.
"It's strange," he said. "Everything's moving so fast. And yet… part of me wishes it would slow down."
Ning Rongrong took his hand again. "Then let's hold onto this moment a little longer."
Outside, time passed. But inside, wrapped in memory, promise, and soft warmth—they held still.
For they were no longer children fleeing home. No longer uncertain souls caught in drifting light.
They were Li Wei and Ning Rongrong—together.
And the road ahead was theirs.